Said james m



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

(No Modell.)

J. M. 8v S. B .MO0DY- CRANBBRRYYPIGKBR.

lPatented July 10 mi mams Pneus cn., Hora-mwa, wAsHmGroN. D, c.

(No Model.) l 2 sheetssheet 2.

J. M. 8u S.B. MOODY.

GRANBERRY PICKER.

No. 522,942. Patented July 10, 1894;

Igujvrs' Jima@ JZ. Moody g4@ ,'SuZnkyB. M00@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

JAMES M. MOODY AND SIDNEY B. MOODY, OF I-IARWVIOH, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID JAMES M. MOODY ASSIGNOR TO SAID SIDNEY B. MOODY.

CRANBERRY-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Paiteizit No. 522,942, dated July 10, 1894. Application filed November 15, 1893. Serial No. 491,025- (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Beit known that we, JAMEsM. MOODY and` SIDNEY B. MOODY, citizens y of the United States, residingat Harwich, in the county of Barnstable and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Cranberry-Picker, of which the following is a specication.

Our invention relates to improvements in cranberry pickers, the objects in view being to provide a simple device that is strong and durable and adapted to gather cranberries and subsequently separate the saine from the vine upon which they grow; and to so constructthedevice as to prevent the vine from Jamming in andy stopping the withdrawal of thepicker; and furthermore to be adapted tol be inserted with facility into the Vine for the purpose of engaging with the berries.

Other objects and advantages of the inven-` tion will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawingss-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cranberry picker enibodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, the same showing the parts in dotted lines in their closed position. Fig. et is a detail in perspective of the swinging tineframe. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the handle, its bail and connecting arm.

Like numerals of Areference indicate like parts 1n all the figures of the drawings.

In practicing our invention we construct a box, the same consisting of opposite side walls 1, which gradually increase in width from their rear toward their front ends, and whose front lower corners are cut away on an incline as shown. The upper front corners are con- Iiected by a metal cross-piece 2, the saine being convened upon its under side and extending down about-midway the wid th of the sidebars of the box. The rear ends of the side bars are connected at their upper corners by a cross-piece 3, `andsaid side-bars are again connected between their ends by a cross-piece 4, the same preferably being provided upon its uppermside and at one side of its center with a presser-knob 5. In front of the'cross-piece t the box is covered by a' reticulated screen (i, and in rear thereof said box is covered by hand of the operator.

an oil-cloth or other iiexible cover 7, the saine being loose or baggy to provide room for the hand of the operator, as will hereinafter appear.

y Metal straps S are secured to the outer sides of the side bars 1 near their rear ends, and in these straps are formed transversely opposite bearings, through which bearing-screws 9 pass `a screw is passed into the end of a handle 15.

This handle 15 is shaped to fit the hand of the Operator and form a grip therefor, and being located at the center of the device is hence at one side of the presser-knob 5, slightly in rear of which and the bare it terminates. The handle is provided at its front end and upon its upper side with an abutment or shoulder 16, the same being curved or concaved so as to iit between the thumb and foreinger of the An eye 17 is formed upon the upper side of f the shoulder, and a y coiled-spring 18 is connected to the eye 17 and to an eye 19 located upon the/upper side of the front transverse connecting-bar.

An arm 2O is secured to or let into the under side of the pivot-bar 10, extends upward in front of the same between two of the tines 11thence forward to a point below the crossbar 4c, and upward through a hole in the canvas or rubber cover 7, and is secured to the front end of the handle 15. The arm is bent adjacent to its rear end so as to form an elbow 21, which abuts against a stop-block 22 with which the front face of the rear cross-bar 3 is provided, and hence limits the upward movement of the tine-frame, so that `the saine cannot pass above the lower edge of the cross piece 2. l

The norinalpositionof the tine-frame, when not otherwise inluenoedthan by the spring 18, is to remain down orat some distance from the front convexed cross-piece 2, and in this position the operator grasps the handle, his thumb resting on the presser-knob 5, and the abutting shoulder 16 of the handle fitting between the,` thumb and foretinger of the hand so as to afford a resistance to the hand. The machine is now slid into the vines, the tendrils carrying the berries passing between the tines into the box, and when the operator has secured a sufficient quantity he raises his hand, at the saine time forcing downward upon the knob and thus draws the tine-frame up into the box, and hence closes the box, the spring yielding to such pressure. When this has been accomplished it will be seen that the tines are at or above the same plane with the cross-piece 2 of the box, and in order to separate the vine from the berries, it is sirnply necessary to forcibly withdraw the picker device from the vine, which will cause the tendrils to pass through the box, and the berries being too large to pass therethrough will be stripped from the tendrils. When this has been accomplished it is simply necessary `to release the presser-knob, when the spring will return the parts to their normal positions, that is permit the tine-frame to swing downward,.and the berries thus collected be dumped or deposited into any receptacle carried by the operator or assistant.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that we have provided a very simple, cheaply constructed and durable device that is adapted to effectually carry on the operation of picking cranberries from the vines. By the construction shown it will be seen that the vines pass readily between the tines, and hence cannot clog between the ends of the same and the box and obstruct a complete closing of the latter by the former.

We do not limit our invention to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, but hold that we may vary the same to any degree and extent within the knowledge of the skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit thereof or sacrificing any of the advantages.

By reason of pivotally mounting the picking tines 11, of the device, a different operation is involved from the operation of similar devices, as in most devices of this character, a movable stripper frame and unpivoted tines are employed, said movable stripper frame being adapted-to be rammed down onto the cranberry vines in advance of the tines before the device is elevated to strip off the berries gathered, and thereby causes injury to the vines and berries, Whereas the main object of the present invention is to provide a construction of picker with less parts and greater durability, and one which, in closing, will not catch or hold onto the vines and runners as is the case with pickers adapted to be closed at the front by a movable stripper frame or cover. It will therefore be seen that by reason of the construction of the herein described device, the box 1, is held stationary on the ground while the tines 11 are elevated, and the vines and berries beyond the ends of the tines are untouched by the box during this operation, and consequently there are no spaces or projections left in which the vines can jam and stop the withdrawal of the device, as in other pickers employing a normally raised door or box adapted to be shut down onto the vines before elevating the entire device to strip off the berries.

In addition to the points just noted, it is to be further observed in connection with the abutment or shoulder 16, at the front end of the handle 15, that an easy rm grip is provided for the hand so that in forcing the machine into the vines the resistance will come between the thumb and forenger, and the elevation on the handle, instead of coming between the first and second joints of the forelinger and the wire which holds the forward end of the handle as in other pickers, will also come between the thumb and foreinger so as to make the manipulation of the handle easier. v

Having described our invention, what we claim -is- 1. In a cranberry picker, the combination of the rectangular box having imperforate sides and ends, and a front end opening extending from the lower edge to an intermediate point of the box, a turning pivot bar pivotally mounted at one end of the box and carrying a series of tines constituting the bottom of the box and adapted to be moved upwardly to close the front end opening while the box is held in a stationary position before being elevated to strip the vines,a handle having a bail connected rigidly to said turning pivot bar to provide for turning the same on its pivot to elevate the tines, and a spring connected to one end of said handle and to one end of the box, to provide for normally depressing the tines, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cranberry picker, the combination of the rectangular box having imperforate sides and ends and provided with a front cut away lower corner, a metal cross piece attached to the inclined front corner of the box and extending from the top to midway the width of the side pieces at that point, a reticulated screen or netting covering the front top portion of the box, a liexible flabby cover arranged over the rear top portion of the box, a turning pivot bar pivotally mounted at one end of the box and carrying a series of forwardly projecting tines forming the bottom of the box and adapted to have their front ends moved within the box in close proximity to the lower end of the metal cross piece at the front to close in the front end of the box while the saine is held stationary before being elevated, a handle having a V- shaped bail rigidly connected to said turnour own we have hereto axed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES M. MOODY. SIDNEY B. MOODY.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as Witnesses:

SULLIVAN W. ROGERS,

ALPHoNso L. WEEKES.

all? 

